Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather is set to fight YouTube star Deji in a big-money Dubai exhibition bout this November, Mirror Fighting can reveal.
The 50-0 boxing icon has been making tens of millions during a worldwide retirement tour that has seen him fight in Japan, Miami and Dubai since he gave up professional competition with a win over Conor McGregor in 2017. He knocked out Japanese kick-boxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 before facing YouTuber Logan Paul in 2021 and ex-sparring partner Don Moore in May.
Now, Mayweather looks to add another social media sensation to his list by facing British influencer Deji in Dubai later this year. The American is already scheduled for a bout against Mikuru Asakura in Japan on Saturday week, and will likely announce his fight with Deji, whose brother is chart-topping rapper KSI, shortly after.
Mirror Fighting sources have indicated Mayweather's team are deep into planning for a star-studded Global Titans Fight Series event on November 13, a Sunday night, at the Coca-Cola Arena where he fought Moore. Generally, these exhibitions last for six or eight rounds of two minutes and have no judges scoring at ringside, meaning if they go the distance nobody loses.
It is understood both parties came to terms last week after an initial approach from Mayweather’s team. The Brit and his brother are two of the UK's biggest YouTube stars, and he will draw a sizeable audience to Mayweather's Global Titan Fight Series after his bout with Moore failed to attract much interest in the wider boxing world.
Rumours of the bout began circulating on social media this week, but it is not yet 100 per cent over the line, according to our sources. Deji posted that he has a "fight announcement soon" last night, with social media news sources such as The Bread Batch and Happy Punch Promotions reporting that the bout was rumoured.
Love Island winner Jack Fincham is in talks to feature on the undercard in a highly-anticipated celebrity boxing debut after a lengthy amateur career, with Harley Benn; son of the legendary Nigel, also in talks along with Jake Paul sparring partner Anthony Taylor and MMA legend Paul Daley also approached. It is understood the card will feature a mix of influencers and fighters.
Deji lost his first three boxing matches at the white-collar level, being stopped by Jake Paul in 2018 as well as model Vinnie Hacker in 2021. He lost a split-decision to fellow YouTuber Alex Wassabi earlier this year, but came back with a stunning stoppage win over Yusef 'Fousey' Erakat at The O2 arena on the undercard of his brother's boxing return last month.
Meanwhile, Mayweather has appeared happy to go the distance in his last few ring outings, at times making a joke of his bout with Moore. He turned away from the fight to talk to commentators and at one stage even took the ring cards from the ring girls and paraded around between rounds, but ultimately dominated and dropped Moore in an outlandish showing.
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He was taken the distance in a somewhat competitive bout against Paul in June of last year, at which point he declared that he may be retired even from exhibitions. But he went back on that promise just months later when he announced his Dubai return.
Deji trains under former professional fighter and Big Brother contestant Daley Perales, whose brother King Kenny is a famous YouTube star and 1-1 as a boxer. The Watford native struggled with fitness and motivation throughout his early boxing career, but made marked improvements after joining Perales just weeks out from his fight with Wassabi.
Ultimately, the change in camps ahead of his fight with Wassabi was too little too late, but his full progress showed in his bout with Erakat. He looked a fitter, more composed boxer as he dropped the American and earned a standing eight count before the towel was thrown in during the third round.
Mayweather flirted with fighting Dubai's own YouTube sensation Rashed 'Money Kicks' Belhasa earlier this year, instead opting to fight Moore. He had beaten two influencers at the time and had millions of followers, but the deal collapsed at late notice and he would ultimately lose his professional debut to Traycho Georgiev on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2.
